It is Big East basketball media day and the league has brought its star players to The Theatre in The Garden. Center Emeka Okafor and point guard Taliek Brown are sitting behind the Connecticut table taking questions from waves of reporters.

Behind them, almost inconspicuous, sits shooting guard Ben Gordon.

“If he shows up and starts deferring to people, we’re just not going to the kind of team we can be,” Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun had said earlier in the day.

Calhoun, of course, wasn’t referring to how Gordon would assert himself at media day. If the Huskies, who won last year’s Big East tournament with a dramatic 74-65 double-overtime win over Pittsburgh, are going to win a sixth league tournament, Gordon is going to have to emerge as UConn’s next great star.

“He doesn’t say, ‘I’m the man now,'” said Calhoun. “And he’s got to say that. He should be the next guy.”

“I think there’s truth in that statement,” said Gordon.

UConn’s last “guy” was Caron Butler. Before Butler there was Richard Hamilton; before Hamilton there was Ray Allen; before Allen was Donyell Marshall.

No Big East program has produced stars such as Connecticut, just as no program has dominated the conference in recent years like the Huskies. Connecticut once again figures to be the team to beat this season, IF, Mount Vernon’s Ben Gordon emerges as Connecticut’s next guy.

“That’s one of the reasons why I came here,” said Gordon. “They always had great players. I watched them a lot in the Big East Tournament, going up against Villanova, other top schools. Those players paved the way for my decision.”

The Huskies surely will be challenged. Pittsburgh returns its entire starting five from last season’s 29-6 squad.

Notre Dame has been boosted by Maryland transfer Dan Miller and freshman center Torin Francis. Boston College expects a resurgence led by the backcourt of Troy Bell and Ryan Sidney. Syracuse has Carmelo Anthony, who could be the nation’s best freshman.

In addition to Gordon, a sophomore who was leading the team in scoring (21.4 points) through seven games, Connecticut has the league’s best true center in Okafor. Taliek Brown of Queens continues to develop as a floor leader while Tony Robertson and Denham Brown are dynamic wing players.

And Gordon plays even bigger against the better competition. As a freshman Gordon scored 23 points four times. Three opponents were Arizona and St. John’s on the road and Villanova at home.

“When I look at our kids, I know what we’d do against Emeka, we’d double team him because we do a lot of double-teaming,” said Calhoun. “I know how to play Taliek. I think I know how to play Tony. I wouldn’t know how to play Ben. Ben’s a tough matchup.”

If Gordon plays like the next guy, Connecticut will be a tough matchup as well.

EAST DIVISION

1. CONNECTICUT, (27-7, 13-3, lost to Maryland in East Region finals)

Coach: Jim Calhoun

Key player: C Emekor Okafor

Why they’ll win: Confidence. UConn has usurped Georgetown as the beast of the east. The defending league tournament champs expect to win.

Why they’ll lose: Ben Gordon figures to be the next great UConn player but will he lead like Caron Butler did?

2. VILLANOVA, (19-13, 6-10, lost to Temple in NIT quarterfinals)

Coach: Jay Wright

Key player: C Jason Fraser

Why they’ll win: The talented freshman class led by Fraser has melded well with the upper classmen. This team will probably improve the most.

Why they’ll lose: At times freshmen just can’t help being freshmen.

3. ST. JOHN’S, (20-12, 9-7, lost to Wisconsin in the NCAA 1st round)

Coach: Mike Jarvis

Key player: G Marcus Hatten

Why they’ll win: In Hatten they have a true go-to player who can take over a game.

Why they’ll lose: Where’s the beef? The lack of inside game and rebounding is a bad combo.

4. BOSTON COLLEGE, (20-12, 8-8, lost to Texas in NCAA 1st round)

Coach: Al Skinner

Key player: G Troy Bell

Why they’ll win: The backcourt tandem of Bell and Ryan Sidney can create a lot of havoc.

Why they’ll lose: The neck injury to PF Uka Agbai of Queens (out six weeks) leaves the Eagles without the banger who does the dirty work.

5. MIAMI (24-8, 10-6, lost to Missouri in NCAA 1st round)

Coach: Perry Clark

Key player: F Darius Rice

Why they’ll win: There will be nights when Rice is steaming hot and knocks down enough 3’s to demoralize an opponent.

Why they’ll lose: In a conference laden with elite point guards, Miami doesn’t have won.

6. PROVIDENCE (15-16, 6-10, no postseason)

Coach Tim Welsh

Key player: F Ryan Gomes

Why they’ll win: The Friars have some athletic players that will allow Welsh to stick with his philosophy of using lots of defensive looks.

Why they’ll lose: Once the Friars get into league play, the offense will be hard-pressed to produce.

7. VIRGINIA TECH (10-18, 4-12, no postseason).

Coach Ricky Stokes.

Key player. G Brian Chase.

Why they’ll win: Experience counts: The starting lineup consists of two seniors and two juniors.

Why they’ll lose: It will take several years before the Hokies have the talent top to bottom to compete in one of the nation’s elite leagues.

WEST DIVISION

1. PITTSBURGH (29-6, 13-3, lost to Kent State in NCAA South semis)

Coach: Ben Howland

Key player: G Brevin Knight

Why they’ll win: Howland is the envy of his peers; he has gotten his players to subjugate their games for the good of the team.

Why they’ll lose: Howland has a couple of big bodies that lack quicknes and none can dominate.

2. NOTRE DAME (22-11, 10-6, lost to Duke in NCAA 2nd round).

Coach: Mike Brey

Key player: G Chris Thomas

Why they’ll win: Brey is an offensive mastermind and he has a very balanced team that places a lot of pressure on defenses.

Why they’ll lose: A real athletic team will expose the Irish’s mediocre speed and quickness.

3. SYRACUSE (23-13, 9-7, lost to Temple in NIT consolation game)

Coach: Jim Boehiem

Key player: F Carmelo Anthony

Why they’ll win: In Anthony they have a player who can score from anywhere at any time.

Why they’ll lose: Until Billy Edelin becomes eligible, the Orangemen don’t have an elite point guard. When he returns, there’ll be an adjustment period.

4. RUTGERS (18-13, 8-8, lost to Yale in NIT 1st round)

Coach: Gary Waters. Key player: Herve Lamizana.

Why they’ll win: Like St. John’s, Waters is assembling a scrappy, tenacious team that gets in your face.

Why they’ll lose: Like St. John’s, the outside shooting is streaky at best. When the Scarlet Knights are off, they’re off.

5. GEORGETOWN (19-11, 9-7, no postseason)

Coach: Craig Esherick

Key player: Mike Sweetney

Why they’ll win: If the Hoyas get Sweetney the ball, there is no frontcourt player in the league who can stop him.

Why they’ll lose: Who will get Sweetney the ball? And is Esherick, in his fifth season, the right guy for the job?

6. WEST VIRGINIA (8-20, 1-15, no postseason)

Coach: John Beilein

Key player: Drew Schifino

Why they’ll win: This is no longer Gale Catlett’s undisciplined Mountaineers. They already own wins over Florida and Tennessee.

Why they’ll lose: Beilein has just seven scholarship players.

7. SETON HALL (12-18, 5-11, no postseason)

Coach: Louis Orr

Key player: Andre Barrett

Why they’ll win: College basketball is a point guard’s game and Barrett is as good as it gets.

Why they’ll lose: The Pirates have no inside game on offense or defense.